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Devil Fetus

Original title: Mo toi
  • 1983
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
599
YOUR RATING
Devil Fetus (1983)
Folk HorrorHorror

A woman becomes possessed and dies after a monster is released from an antique vase she had purchased. Twelve years later the monster is re-awakened. First he possesses the family's dog, bef... Read allA woman becomes possessed and dies after a monster is released from an antique vase she had purchased. Twelve years later the monster is re-awakened. First he possesses the family's dog, before moving on to the woman's nephew.A woman becomes possessed and dies after a monster is released from an antique vase she had purchased. Twelve years later the monster is re-awakened. First he possesses the family's dog, before moving on to the woman's nephew.

  • Director
    • Hung-Chuen Lau
  • Writers
    • Man-Wah Cheng
    • Ging-Jiu Lo
  • Stars
    • Eddie Chan
    • Yung-Chang Chin
    • Pak-Kwong Ho
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    599
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hung-Chuen Lau
    • Writers
      • Man-Wah Cheng
      • Ging-Jiu Lo
    • Stars
      • Eddie Chan
      • Yung-Chang Chin
      • Pak-Kwong Ho
    • 22User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos17

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    Top cast11

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    Eddie Chan
    • Kent Cheng
    Yung-Chang Chin
    • Other Cast
    Pak-Kwong Ho
    Pak-Kwong Ho
    • Mr. Cheng
    Meng-Kuang Hsu
    • Other Cast
    Dan Lau
    Dan Lau
    • Other Cast
    Sai-gang Lau
    • Other Cast
    Shan Liang
    Shan Liang
    • Other Cast
    • (as San Leung)
    Hsiu-Ling Lu
    Hsiu-Ling Lu
    • Juju
    • (as Sau Fan Loy)
    Pei-Pei Lu
    • Other Cast
    • (as Pui-Pui Liu)
    Sha-Fei Ouyang
    Sha-Fei Ouyang
    • Granny Cheng
    Kuo-Hua Wen
    • Other Cast
    • Director
      • Hung-Chuen Lau
    • Writers
      • Man-Wah Cheng
      • Ging-Jiu Lo
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews22

    6.0599
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    Featured reviews

    5coffeyaddict

    if it weren't for that dead dog....

    This movie would have been better without the actual dead German Shepherd. Did they kill the dog for the movie, or did they just happen to have one? It's not a fake prop, it's just sad.

    There is a great scene with the monk trying to exorcize the demon.
    8ElijahCSkuggs

    Fetus de la Devil

    The story of a demon spirit (or devil) possessing and terrorizing a very unfortunate family. There's a little backstory to this but basically this is the main theme. And even though it's a simple story, the flick delivers more than enough fun for any fan of HK craziness.

    With a certifiably evil spirit, some sorcery battles, and even some genuine chills, Devil Fetus delivered a whole lot more than I was anticipating. Just a couple parts where the movie dragged and a possible, stupid Eagle slaying (if real), had me bored and kinda upset. But with a horny, disgusting, slimy devil trying to get some missionary action with any chick on the menu, it easily makes you forget about any boring parts.

    If you're a fan of weirdo hybrid genre flicks, this is almost a must-see. Give it a look-see if you're hunkering for a Devil, a Fetus, and some Hong Kong sorcery magic. Also, the ending ain't too shabby either. Oh, one other thing, if you have the ability to watch it with surround sound, don't hesistate. This flick has some awesome sound effects and music that will shake the hell outta you and the room you're watching it in. 7.5 outta 10
    8I_Ailurophile

    A fun, wild ride and effects spectacle

    I don't think it's unfair to criticize how highly variable the storytelling is. It starts out incredibly prompt and direct - leaving nothing to the imagination, introducing ideas very forthrightly in imagery or dialogue, and advancing the story in precise, concrete steps - before becoming just as incredibly, weirdly vague. As viewers we just have to kind of blithely accept on faith that everything is happening because of the jade vase seen at the beginning, and the evil that was attached to it is subsequently jumping from person to person. The storytelling switches back and forth, too, and meanwhile Lau Hung-chuen's direction is simply very straight; in the acting and in how scenes are orchestrated generally, there's not a lot of nuance to be had. Then again, in this case the predominant ethos isn't impactful drama, creeping horror, or even so much sinister vibes (though we do get some of those) as it is a spectacle of effects. 'Devil fetus' opts rather simply for shock value, and while some facets come off better than others, I'd be plainly lying if I said it weren't a wild, entertaining ride. This won't appeal to everyone, but for those open to all the wide possibilities of what horror has to offer, this is great!

    There's a lot that gets thrown at us at one time or another, from the more straightforward horror-thriller approach of a person being pursued by an antagonist, to tinges of suspense and dark atmosphere; from supernatural splendor and madness, to the one-on-one showdown between priests or mystics and demons or practitioners of black magic, as we've seen in the likes of 1981's 'Bewitched,' or 1983's 'Ghosts galore.' Some of this is realized with stop-motion animation, stunts, and major moving set pieces, and at other times we get extensive blood, gore, special makeup, and gross-out effects. Sometimes we're treated to post-production digital additions that are more than a little outdated, and accompanying sound effects that are A Choice; sometimes this is realized through lighting, or tricky editing and cinematography. The preponderance of these are tangible creations, I should note, but one way or another, they all mostly look great! It's primarily through this that the horror element is realized, though even as the writing is variable, Wen-Hua and Cheng Ging-Jiu Lo whipped up a tale of violence, death, and otherworldly possession that's a wicked good time.

    In all other capacities this is pretty well made, from art direction and costume design to the music. It may not be a title that wholly demands viewership, but it sits somewhere on a spectrum between B-movie and low-budget romp, and whether one is familiar with other genre flicks out of Hong Kong (be they from The Shaw Brothers, Golden Harvest, or as in this instance, Lo Wei Motion Picture Company), or like-minded fare like Sam Raimi's first 'Evil dead,' there's a recognizable kinship with other works. For the inelegance of how it presents it carries some rough edges, yet by and large 'Devil fetus' is fun, gnarly, well made, and satisfying, and even if it's not the most visceral of thrill rides, I think most anyone who appreciates horror will find it enjoyable. Don't necessarily go out of your way for this, but if you have the chance to watch 'Devil fetus,' these eighty-six minutes are well worth anyone's time!
    7trashgang

    cheesy in all ways but a must see

    Hong Kong horror from the eighties but as cheesy as it can get. And due being cheesy and having laughable conversations it became a cult classic and it shows because it's becoming really hard to get this flick. It was available in Cantonese language with English subs on DVD but it vanished the earth and it rather goes for a lot of money when it pops up on the internet.

    But it's worth the hunt if you can dig cheesy horror. The effects were indeed laughable and were done in stop motion or the use of green and purple lighting or with editing but you will keep watching it and it never becomes boring. I can't even say that it is a supernatural flick or a ghost story because it has elements of all kind of genres from the world of horror.

    Of course it's famous for a few scene's, the eating of the intestines of a dog aren't for the squeamish and there's also some bit of animal cruelty with an eagle.

    It starts rather good with the vase giving one's man a curse that makes his face immediately change into a face full of maggots and puss. From there on it takes a while before things go wrong but once the possession is in the house you will have some fun while watching it. And you must be prepared for some effects. Seeing is believing. I also liked the wizard or priest having his fight against the possessed body. It starts so nice and turns into the cheesiest moments of Mo Tai or Devil Fetus.

    There's no nudity to spot maybe some will say the raping at the beginning contains nudity but nothing is shown. There's not that much of blood but the animal cruelty and the scene with the walls will deliver for the gorehounds. A must see and I admit that I never heard of this flick until a week or two ago, shame on me.

    Gore 1,5/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5
    7daustin

    Holy Fetus, Batman!

    Wow! This movie was so inappropriate. Incredibly funny stuff, albeit unintentionally. An ugly lamp humps, possesses, and slaughters it's way through an entire family. The (non-gore) highlight for me would have to be the wild and tacky 80's dance party that stuck in the middle of the film. None of these people should ever be allowed to dance or act in a movie again. Was that dog doing what I think he was doing during the party? The sorcerous fight scene using Atari-era special effects and teleportation via the simple expedient of turning the camera off and on was also classic. The only disappointment is that the titular fetus only really appears onscreen in its "fetus" incarnation for a few seconds, in a scene stolen straight from Alien. Don't miss this one, it'll mess you up and loosen your bladder.

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    Related interests

    Florence Pugh in Midsommar (2019)
    Folk Horror
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Featured in Eagle Blood & Pig Guts: Hsu Meng-Kuang on Devil Fetus (2025)
    • Soundtracks
      Humanity Pt. 1
      (uncredited)

      Written and Conducted by Ennio Morricone

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    FAQ11

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 1, 1983 (Hong Kong)
    • Country of origin
      • Hong Kong
    • Language
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • Дьявольский зародыш
    • Production company
      • Lo Wei Motion Picture Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 24m(84 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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